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TOPIC. The concept of comfort, although used frequently and throughout the nursing literature, has not been clearly or consistently defined.
PURPOSE. To clarify the meaning of comfort by employing the systematic approach of an evolutionary concept-analysis method.
SOURCES. Books, journals, professional organization position statements, electronic searches.
CONCLUSIONS. A clear definition and meaning of comfort is needed, and thus the ability to use this concept empirically in order to further nursing knowledge development.
Search terms: Comfort, concept analysis, discomfort
The concept of comfort has not been defined clearly in the nursing literature. Yet the word comfort is used frequently in describing the attributes and outcomes of other well-documented nursing concepts. Comfort is a dimension or component of dynamic processes, experiences, and concepts such as quality of life, hope, control, decision making, and reconciliation (Arruda, Larson, & Meleis, 1992; Cameron, 1993; Larson, 1987). Pain control is used often as a proxy for "comfort," and pain is used often to describe discomfort.
Comfort also has been considered a basic core value of nursing care over the decades, and the term comfort is frequently referred to in the nursing literature as an intervention, using the term "comfort measures," or as a process. Comfort is also referred to as a state. Comfort measures are a means to a state of comfort (outcome); the measures are used to provide relief to decrease distress and may be in the form of symptom management. An awareness and understanding of the definitions, meanings, attributes, and use of comfort are important to develop meaningful nursing interventions and empirical knowledge for use during the trajectory of a patient's illness experience and related treatment. This analysis uses the evolutionary method as described by Rodgers (2000) to examine and evaluate the meanings, attributes, and uses of comfort as reported in the nursing literature.
Analysis of the Concept
According to Rodgers (2000), "identification of the attributes of a concept represents the primary accomplishment of a concept analysis" (p. 91) and will form the real definition of the concept. The identification of the attributes is accomplished by reviewing and analyzing the literature for recurrent categories, clues to the defining characteristics, and actual definitions of the concept of interest (Rodgers). The evolutionary method of concept analysis focuses on concept...